Ayndi
by Scott-The Swordsman
Summary: How one man's sense of right and wrong got him involved with the wrong people. How his life was soon plummeted into the abyss, and how he was deprived of everything to live for. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

The sun shined down brightly upon the city of Al De Baran. The white marble stones making up the buildings and walkways were bright with the sun's life-giving rays. The water that ran into the city coming from the east made gentle noises with the soft breeze that blew past. It was mid-summer, so the cool feeling of the breeze refreshed the busybodies of the market place. Adventurers from all over had come to see the many attractions, like the Kafra Corporation, or the old clock tower that looked over the city in all directions like a guard. From a distance, the town looked to be stone-faced, unmovable. It was by far one of Rune-Midgarts most respected cities. But when one got within town borders, all they would hear is the constant murmuring of conversations between numerous people. The streets – especially nearest the clock tower – were crowded with adventurers, talk buzzing back and forth about almost anything. But most of all, rumors flew about concerning the old clock tower. People assumed it was haunted.

One man didn't talk to anyone though. He was leaning against a lone wall, eating an apple as he watched the people go about their business before him. He was a young man, fit and respectable. His eyes seemed cold, but he held not one grudge against anyone. His fit form was dawned in a red vest, respective of the Rogues that wandered about. It wasn't rare to see them in Al De Baran, but seeing a resident of the city becoming one was very much so. He wore a pair of black pants that were a little long for his legs, covering the heels of his leather shoes. A black studded belt with a skull buckle intimidated any who would look at him, along with the spiked wristbands he wore. Black hair framed his face, the sides to about his ears being long enough to reach his chin, though the back was short, only reaching his neck. He was just relaxing, standing out against the gray-white wall of the building, several feet away from the clock tower in the center of the city, deep in his own thought. This thought was broken by a cry through the crowds.

"Stop that man! He has my purse!" An elderly lady cried out.

The young man's eyes suddenly flicked in the direction of the cry, and surely enough, a dirty little Thief was pushing and shoving his way through the crowds to escape with the stolen purse. The Thief wore a sort of mask that framed his eyes, his blue hair contrasting it. The jacket he wore was complementary to Thieves, having a few designs on the shoulders, and left open He wore a tan sweater beneath, and black pants that went down to his knees, like knickers. On his feet, he wore long socks, and a pair of boots lined with lunatic fur. So, he was quiet while he ran, but the young Rogue never let him leave his sight, and calmly moved to intercept the Thief. Slowly he walked while the Thief ran and pushed through the crowds. Soon, the Rogue stopped calmly, and just as the Thief ran past, he thrust his fist out, it connecting with his cheek and most of his nose. The Thief spun around once, falling to the ground as the Rogue stood over him.

"I'd advise you to return that." The Rogue said, taking another bite of his apple.

Ayndi Hakmashi was the Rogue's name, and he was fairly young, in his late twenties. He was an Al De Baran vigilante, doing what was right, regardless of the law. He helped people, and if he had to face persecution, it didn't matter to him. He was highly respected by some folks in the city, and he'd developed a kind of quiet reputation. He rarely spoke to anyone, but everyone knew that his intensions were pure. He would never had gone out of his way to harm someone unless it was necessary, not back then anyways. He had no family, and seemingly had no home. He figured if he acquired a home, the wrong kinds of people could pinpoint his location. That didn't mean he never had a home, he just never had a house.

Ayndi took the purse from the young Thief and let him on his way. He then turned, walking through the crowd, and handing the purse back to the woman. She couldn't have been more thankful. She thanked him, offered him rewards, and even questioned why there weren't any people like him around when she was young. He told her to think nothing of it, refused the rewards, and left the question up to her to answer. He couldn't say that he played the part of town hero for the recognition. In fact, he didn't like being a hero that much, he just did what was right. He decided then that it was about time he got out of sight for a while, and he headed away from the crowds. He went into one of the far corners of the city, making sure nobody was looking, and then touched a certain panel on the wall. The panel triggered a switch that opened a section of the ground before him, revealing a staircase. This was his home.

It was rather cozy, but not much compared to the things the people who lived in real houses had. It was a small section underground. He had managed to build four walls out of wood, and a roof and floor out of stone. Within this small room, there were only necessities, in other words, one bed, two lamps, a few personal possessions, and food, lots and lots of preserved food. Sure, it wasn't the best, but it was a place he figured he could retire to, in order to be alone with his thoughts. Most often he was left to think about his life, what it was and what it was before his mother died. And he did just that, sighing as he moved to the bed and sat upon it. He then laid out on it with a sigh, staring at the ceiling.

He could remember the first time he had come to Al De Baran, the first time he became a "hero." He lived in Izlude before that, but the town didn't offer enough for him. His mother, giving birth to him at a much older age, needed him to work when he was a teenager. So they moved to Al De Baran, a more populated city, with more shops and ways to make money. Of course, Ayndi was already a Thief by then, having been forced into stealing so that his mother and him could live. Unfortunately, a year after moving to the bigger city, his mother died of old age. He was nineteen at the time, and had a steady job. Of course he mourned over the loss, but he also pushed on and continued to work to support himself. He only became a "hero" one day by saving a girl. He was walking home one night when he heard screaming from inside a house. Using his skills as a Thief, he quickly went about picking the lock to the front door and barging in. Two men were in the house, he could hear them, and a woman, and they were all struggling.

Typical of the situation, it was a rape. Ayndi moved quickly to the bedroom to find the two men, pinning a woman down to the one bed within it. When Ayndi made his presence known, the two men suddenly got angry, asking him about how he got off breaking into other people's homes, and told him to leave immediately. He didn't listen of course. Ayndi always had a sense of right and wrong that pretty much ran his life. He wasn't about to abandon a woman that could have quite possibly been risking personal injury. So, the men came at him, but they were poor fighters. Even in the small room, Ayndi was able to pummel them with ease. Even when beaten to a pulp though, they wouldn't leave, so Ayndi was forced to alert the authorities. The town guards were quickly involved, binding the beaten men's hands and taking them away to the jail. They also gave the young "hero" a thank-you on behalf of the entire city, and a personal thank-you from the woman he saved.

From that point on, he had become known as a law-enforcer, and was strongly suggested to join the city guard force. Seeing it as a higher source of income, he gladly accepted the job. He was put into training the next day, given a guidebook to follow, and was taught the laws and regulations of the city vigorously for two weeks. It ran mostly on an honor code that Ayndi could work with. It solidified the meaning of right and the meaning of wrong. After his final test, he was given the uniform, passing with flying colors, as they say. He couldn't say he liked the job too much, especially when he knew something wrong had occurred, but the guidelines prevented him from taking action. Very rarely did anything ever happen that was of any alarm. Most of the time, it was just stealing, or dealing with fighting couples. Other times it was watching over the boring crowds, to prevent any wrongs that could occur. The right way of enforcing the law was rather boring to the twenty-year-old at that time. He couldn't even harm someone unless absolutely necessary!

Ayndi's views on the law system faulted at one time. During a particularly harsh winter, a murder occurred late one night. The guards were sent to investigate the scene, and they found the dead body, but no evidence. Though, earlier during his shift, Ayndi saw someone sneaking around the area of which it occurred. It looked as if he did not live in the city either. The city guards questioned this man, but he had a good alibi, and people to confirm it. Though, somehow, Ayndi knew it was that man. He insisted it was the man, and they agreed to investigate the matter. For weeks, nothing turned up. Evidence was non-existent, and witnesses were very vague on any details they had. They didn't have enough proof to lock the guy up, and he was free to go. It was then that Ayndi knew the law system did not always follow right and wrong. One person could not make a difference in that world. So he quit, outraged, making a big scene as well.

Ayndi wanted to help people. He wanted justice to be served, whether the culprit left any evidence or not. He then learned of a secret organization from someone in a bar. They explained to him that they were called Rogues, and they did anything and everything outside of the law. Ayndi had heard of Rogues before, having once read an old children's story of a Rogue that stole money from rich people, and gave it to the poor people. He never once thought that someone like that could actually exist. When he heard that the Rogue's headquarters was located in the desert, he packed his things and left right away. It took him a day and a half of straight walking, but he soon left the heat of the summer plains, into the scorching burn of the desert during the hottest time of the year. It was by far one of the more foolish things that he had ever done, and never having entered the desert before in his life, he quickly got lost in the large expanse of sand.

As young and as willing as he was to go on, he was quickly running out of water. He spent one day in the desert before his canteen was three-quarters empty. He didn't expect to last a day, and he had nothing to sleep on. He merely had food to eat and water to drink. But the desert offered no place of rest, and the nights dropped in temperature to near freezing at some points. To his luck, when he was about to collapse, he found a town, called Morroc. He was relieved to find the town, and nearly had to crawl to the trough the barren desert to reach it. But, when he did, he was disappointed in knowing that he wasn't permitted entry. He reached the gates and nearly collapsed from exhaustion, and when the guards approached him, they just laughed. They merely stood over him while he lay there.

"Poor Thief must have lost his way from the other night!" One laughed.

Ayndi thought himself as stupid. He had heard gossip abouta civil war on the verge in Morroc during his travels, and there he was in a Thief's uniform. The two guards merely left him to die, not permitting him into the town. Ayndi was forced away, and out of sight, where he was definitely out of mind. He sat by a lone tree, gulping down the last bit of water with a sigh. Getting in seemed hopeless, and someone within the town must have known the location of the Rogue's Hideaway. He sulked about it for several minutes, when his prayers were answered in the form of another Thief. It was a young man, with spiked hair that seemed to flare out, and he wore the typical Thief uniform. He said his name was Jynx, and he agreed to help Ayndi into the town, and direct him towards the Rogue's Hideout. Jynx showed him a secret way in, and then took him to a bar. There, Ayndi bought himself a drink and sat down to talk with the boy.

It was strictly a business talk. Ayndi wasn't the kind to socialize with total strangers, so he got right to the point. Where was the Rogue's Hideaway, and where could he buy previsions. Jynx laughed, telling him that he would only let Ayndi know these things if he knew why. So, Ayndi told him. It was simply a matter of justice in its rightful place. The young Thief had mixed emotions about that, being someone who would do wrongs, but he told Ayndi anyways. He said that to the south west of Morroc, there was a waterfront, and there were many stalls anda large building that led underground. It may have looked like some sad attempt to sell things to porters, but in reality, the Rogues hid away there. Ayndi had no reason to doubt the boy, and he made certain that before he left the bar that he got water and food to take with him, and that he had a good night's sleep in the inn before he set off across the desert again.

The next day, making sure he was all ready, he left for the Rogue's Hideout, making sure he wasn't seen in his Thief uniform. He actually took the jacket off, and threw it away, and removed the lunatic fur from his boots. He may not have looked like a Thief then, and he was allowed to pass through the gates to start his trek across the sand again. Though this time, he knew where he was headed. It took him several hours, leaving from the southern exit of the town, to actually see a waterfront. By that time, he had drunk about half a canteen of water. Once he found that waterfront, he moved west, and he went west until the late afternoon, where he finally found the Rogue's Hideout. He was pleased to find that he could enter at his own free will.

He couldn't start training right away. He didn't have a Thief uniform, and the Rogues only allowed free people, like Thieves, to join their cause. They had to clarify that Ayndi was actually a Thief before he could start. The Rogues' Leader, the "Queen Of Thieves," sent her best people out to find out enough about Ayndi that would make him able to join, and he was kept there as a guest in the meantime. He found their leader to be an amazing woman. She seemed tactical, always planning ahead for anything she did involving the Rogues, and she had skills that far surpassed any of the others. She was even beautiful. Though she was younger than he was (and that surprised him most of all), he couldn't help but find her alluring in some way. But, he was an honorable man, and kept himself away from her. He would only talk with her professionally.

The men that were sent out to dig up as much as they could about Ayndi came back with a surprise. Somehow, they were able to dig up everything. They found his full name, where he lived, who his family was, his date and place of birth, jobs he had previously had, and any other things that stood out. The Queen Of Thieves was especially interested in how he used to be a guard for the city of Al De Baran, and she immediately began to question him. She asked him very opinion-based questions, and other things that would define his character. She even asked if he had ever gone to the Kafra Corporation, and for what purpose. She was surprised to find that he'd never seen a need to go there, even though the majority of the Kafra Corp. was run by women. After the short question period, Ayndi was immediately put under training by one of the toughest, most skilled trainers they had – next to the Queen herself.

During this training, Ayndi improved himself both physically and mentally. He learned how to wield a variety of different weapons, depending on the situation. Daggers for general purposes, swords for major combat, bows for long-range, he was required to learn and master all the weapon types before he could leave. He also learned how to improve his physique. He learned how to gain proper lift off his leaps, enabling him to jump high, and how to pace himself and breath while he ran, so he could seemingly run for hours. He also had to learn quality traits and skills that were specific to Rogues, that only Rogues were permitted to learn and use. The training all together took him several months, and he was able to live in the Hideout the whole time, to eat and sleep properly. He treated the experience in a well-minded nature, coming to the conclusion that it was good for him. At the last day, he was declared an official Rogue, being one of the best that training had ever offered. He was then allowed to go.

"Do as you please." The Queen Of Thieves told him. "No law can bind you now."

Even so, despite the "graduation," Ayndi had little idea as to how many Rogues there were. He was never able to learn that there were many connections, like an underground network of information, thus the reason they were able to gather so much about him. He headed straight back to Morroc to pick up more things for the trip home, and for another rest at the inn. Once he did, he started a long day and a half trek back to Al De Baran. It was unfortunate for him though, living as he did. His birthday was quickly approaching, and nobody was going to celebrate it. Instead, he went back to Al De Baran, and constructed the small "house" he lived in for the next several years. That way, nobody would ever know where he lived – not even the Rogues.

Ayndi was in his early twenties when he became a Rogue, and he was still a Rogue in his late twenties. He enjoyed what he did, not noticeably, but he did. But still, even though he did what was right, something was missing. True happiness was something he wanted to achieve, but he didn't know how to get it. What he knew for certain was that he didn't have it. Something ate away at him every day, and he didn't know how to fill the gap between it. Maybe it was how lonely he was, or at least the way he lived. He figured he must have gone wrong somewhere, but until he found out how, he'd just have to continue what he was doing. He'd have to be Al De Baran's little "hero."

He got out of his bed with a sigh, getting his things together again and heading back out to watch over the people. He did this the entire day before waiting until the dead of night to go back home. He did this day in and day out, the whole thing being like a routine. He wanted something to change, and he didn't expect it to happen. But he couldn't tell the future. He didn't know if he'd live this slightly meaningful life to its end, nor did he know if he was going to be part of something bigger, something much, much bigger. He didn't know what lied ahead of him, and it bothered him a bit. But his patience with life was soon to be rewarded, soon in a timely sense.

Ayndi Hakmashi was the Rogue's name, and he was fairly young, in his late twenties. He was an Al De Baran vigilante, doing what was right, regardless of the law. He helped people, and if he had to face persecution, it didn't matter to him. He was highly respected by some folks in the city, and he'd developed a kind of quiet reputation. He rarely spoke to anyone, but everyone knew that his intensions were pure. He would never had gone out of his way to harm someone unless it was necessary, not back then anyways. He had no family, and seemingly had no home. And he had absolutely no idea how his destiny was about to unfold.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a day like every other summer day in Al De Baran. The sun shined down brightly upon the city. The white marble stones making up the buildings and walkways were bright with the sun's life-giving rays. The water that ran into the city coming from the east made gentle noises with the soft breeze that blew past. The cool feeling of the breeze refreshed the busybodies of the market place. The streets – especially nearest the clock tower – were crowded with adventurers, talk buzzing back and forth about almost anything. But most of all, rumors flew about concerning the old clock tower. People assumed it was haunted. And lastly, Ayndi was doing his usual rounds, looking for trouble and using his own methods to put an end to it. But this day was to be different; it was a day that would change the young man's life forever. He was just in the midst of buying a meal for himself when the elderly woman from the other day approached him quietly.

"Pardon me, sir." She spoke, her voice quiet and frail, affected by aging.

He turned to her, and she immediately asked to speak with him privately. After a moment's thought, he agreed, and was escorted back to her home. Of course, he was wary, being sure she wasn't leading him into a trap. She lived in a small home, fit for one person, and he was invited to take a seat, and she offered to prepare him a meal. Despite his objections, the elderly woman wouldn't take no for an answer. During the meal, she spoke with him. He rarely spoke back at her, as her chitchat wasn't important. He mostly sat and enjoyed the sandwich she'd prepared for him. Of course, he was sure to thank her for the graciousness. But soon, all conversation stopped, and the silence was awkward. But, the lady soon broke this by getting straight to her point, the dilemma eating at her to the point where she explained it with a sense of desperation.

She had a sister, who lived out in the desert with her only daughter. They both apparently lived alone, and rarely bothered anybody. But recently, the elderly lady had received a letter from her Morrocian sister saying that a slaver had come into town. Coincidently, with his showing, many disappearances began to occur, starting with young men, and going on from there, until it finally effected her by her only daughter disappearing. The Morrocian lady blamed the slaver for every single one of the disappearances, and she begged for help from the authorities. But when the guards searched the camp, the man had a written permit, allowing his slavery. Many adventurers were too busy to deal with the woman's troubles, and she was left with no choice but to ask her sister for help. And this led to the situation Ayndi was placed in at that moment. The elderly woman from the other day was asking his assistance in the matter.

The Rogue had never encountered a slaver, nor did he have any personal experiences with them, but he did know what they were. He knew that they took people, and set them to work in one way or another. Often they would take in homeless people, or buy children off of parents. But very few had the nerve to kidnap people and force them to work. Ayndi thought that people like that did not deserve to be anything higher than dirt. If one had the heartless nature to take someone and force their unwilling self to go into work for another, they deserved what was coming to them. It was wrong, and although Ayndi did not feel strongly of the issue, he did ask of it. He asked how many people were missing and for how long. Apparently several were missing for many weeks. This was enough to convince him to take the job. She offered him rewards for even taking it, but he declined every one, and said that he would leave immediately. With that, he thanked her and left the house.

He quickly went to his own "home" to prepare. Moving to the sub-level house, he immediately began going about his business. He moved to his bed, reaching under and grabbing a crossbow and slinging it over his shoulder. He made certain this his stiletto was still with him, hidden beneath his vest. He then sought after bolts for the crossbow he had. It took him several minutes to look through his supplies, but he found a goof quiver-full inside one of the many crates he had. The last thing he picked up was a sakkat, woven out of tough bamboo reeds, in order to shade him from the harmful rays, or protect him from the rain. He then left his house quickly, and immediately went to exit the city, taking the long, familiar path to the desert all over again. Same day and a half trip, though, a different, more prepared approach.

The desert was hot as ever. It was the hottest day of the year there, unbeknownst to Ayndi. His well-tanned skin would surely burn if he spent too much time there. The occasional adventurer passed him, and they said their hellos. Many asked what his business was, carrying a large crossbow and a quiver with him. He would simply say that it was none of their business, and continue on his way. The desert air rippled with the heat that was pressed down upon it, but whenever Ayndi stopped to rest under the shade of a tree, the sand would be mild. The grains somehow absorbed the heat, but didn't warm up. It took him several hours until he reached Morroc, the desert town, and this time, he was welcomed to enter. He wasn't a Thief, and people knew very little about the Rogues. The guards assumed he was going to just pass through; they had no idea that he would be acting against the law.

Before he left, Ayndi was given a letter and an address to take it to. He walked all along the town, which was busy as ever. The stone buildings, bright, heated sand, and the rocks that made the walkways still held that little sizzle to them. The Rogue was sweating by the time he reached the town, and as he walked through the crowded streets, many merchants, braving the hot sun, attempted to persuade the stone-faced Rogue to but their wares. Their tents were set up along the sides of the streets, and he was tempted to buy some of their exotic items. But, he hadn't enough money to do so, so he left it be. The whole town was buzzing with conversation, and pushing through the crowds wile like forcing a walking through pudding. Pushing and shoving through the crowds showed to exert much energy, and Ayndi was fairly pooped by the time he reached the house of which he was to go. It was in the shady slums of the town, located nearest the tavern. It seemed quiet, away from the travelers and merchants in the town. He knocked on the door, and the sound was louder than he expected. It somehow reminded him of the barren setting. After several moments of waiting, an elderly woman answered the door, cracking it open only a bit.

"Who are you?" She asked defensively, seeming to be older than the other woman from Al De Baran.

"My name is Ayndi." Ayndi spoke calmly. "I was asked to bring you this message, and wait for further instruction."

"Who is it from?" She asked.

"An elderly woman in Al De Baran. I never got her name." Ayndi responded.

The woman opened the weak, wooden door the rest of the way, and reached her shaky, wrinkled hand out to retrieve the letter. Ayndi took it out and eased the sealed envelope into her quivering hand, and she took it quickly and opened it. Ayndi stood patiently at the door as she read over the letter, her old eyes, sealed behind spectacles, flicking over the words quickly, and occasionally looking at the twenty-two year old Rogue before her. After several mumbled and nods of her head, the old woman shed a smile that brightened up her features, showing off her time-decayed teeth. She invited him inside, offering him a drink of fresh, sweet berry juice. Ayndi gladly accepted and walked inside, setting his crossbow down and removing his headwear. As the woman went about preparing his drink, he sat down at a lone table at the center of the room, and she explained to him her situation.

"So you are Ayndi." She said, her hunched back to him.

"Yes, Ayndi Hakmashi." Ayndi responded with a nod. The home he was in was very little than two rooms big. The kitchen and dining room were fit into one, and the table, being small, could only fit three people. The counters, appliances, chairs, table, everything within it was made out of wood. The chairs had small comforters on them, stuffed with Peco Peco feathers, and the house was nicely decorated with a few odds and ends. An especially shiny jellopy was on display over the sink, which had no running water. Here and there, paintings would be on the walls, some of them very old and dusty, dusty almost like the very air he breathed. Ayndi figured the woman had a hard time caring for herself. While he observed his surroundings, the woman continued to speak.

"A travesty has come into this desert." She said. "Unlike the days when I was young, when people could live without fear, I now have lost my very own daughter to a cruel man and his accomplices. It shames me to know that men like that even exist."

"I am here to bring back your daughter." Ayndi explained. "Please, tell me as much as you can."

"My daughter was a sweet, sweet young woman." The elderly lady said, turning to him with a cup and handing it to him. He took it and sipped it, holding in a sigh of bliss at how sweet the juice tasted.

"She was in her early twenties Mr. Hakmashi." She continued. "She worked as a waitress at Max's bar,serving drinks at the bar for the travelers that came through."

"Rosaline?" Ayndi repeated the name that was spoken.

"My daughter." The woman clarified. "As soon as she took this job, one of the young boys, the son of the waitress that disappeared, soon left sight himself. This didn't faze me as much, but soon, another man came to town. It was the slaver."

"Do you remember what he looks like?" Ayndi asked, sipping the juice again.

"I can't forget anymore." She answered with disgust. "He had red hair, like fire that came off his head. He looks very strong, and he acted so crude. He wore a pair of sunglasses that hid his eyes… I swear he must be the true embodiment of evil. I never suspected him to steal my daughter, but when she disappeared… I know it was him, there's no doubt."

"Hm, well…" Ayndi downed the juice and got out of his seat. "Embodiments of evil are just that much easier to get rid of. I'll ask around town, and if I find anything, I'll head straight for the place and get your daughter back."

Just as Ayndi was about to leave, the woman stopped him, resting a gentle, gnarled hand on his shoulder. "Not just my daughter." She said. "Get them all back."

"Don't worry about it." He responded, putting on his sakkat again and picking up his crossbow. "… That was my intension from the very beginning."

So, he left, and the first place he went was the tavern. He asked around, but everyone he asked said they didn't want to get involved in anything revolving around the slavers. Ayndi couldn't tell them he was going to stop it all though, he didn't know if anyone would tell the slaver. Though, he did learn the name of the man that showed up was Farley. So, he asked specifically about Farley, but very few knew anything about him. All they knew was that he was a slaver, and that he was in town ever now and again. Ayndi was stumped, and could get nothing done on the first day. So, he went to the inn and spent the night there before going back to the first place he started – the bar. He began asking questions again, when something caught his ear.

"Oh yeah, she wash a good catch." A drunken man said. "She barely fought backs at all, she was totally helpless! I just grabbed her, gagged her, and took 'er back to sha camp!"

This man that was speaking was obviously a slaver. While Ayndi sat and listened to him ramble on about how he caught a slave and had his way with her, he studied the man's face and appearance thoroughly. He wore a large black cloak, which would have normally covered all his features. The hood was down that afternoon though, and the man's blonde hair and brown eyes were quite apparent. Him and the men around him were laughing about the ordeal, while the bartender had to go and do all the work, without his waitress. Ayndi had to sustain the urge to get up and knock them all out. He'd left his crossbow at the door, and he didn't want to stab anyone, so he just sat quietly. The man would get his just desserts later that night when the young Rogue got his hands on him.

And when he did, the Rogue pulled him into an alley roughly. The man was startled, traveling alone during the dead of night. He tried to fight back, and when he did, Ayndi went to work. He dodged the man's clumsy attacks, and countered with one simple spinning kick to his jaw. The guy fell to the ground, his face exposed again. He seemed to have given up by then, and Ayndi tried asking him to speak. He wouldn't, and it left Ayndi with the only option being to demand it. When he did though, the man pulled two knives out of the sleeves of his cloak to attack Ayndi. Ayndi was quick to move though, dodging the blind slashes, and responding by hitting him hard in the back of the neck with the handle of his crossbow. This sent the man crashing to the ground, causing him to drop his knives. Ayndi strung his crossbow back over his back and picked the guy up, slamming him against the wall.

"You know what I want to know." Ayndi said. "Tell me."

"Eat me." The man weakly responded. Ayndi thrust one of his knees powerfully into the man's abdomen.

"Tell me!" Ayndi shouted.

"Why do you want to know?" The man gasped breathlessly.

"I want to have a talk with your leader." Ayndi responded.

"Listen punk." The man smirked. "I'll get Farley to pay you double what these other guys are paying you."

"You disgust me!" Ayndi cried, throwing a fist precisely at the man's nose, shattering it and causing him to cry out in pain, and left to blubber. But Ayndi didn't let him raise a hand to check his condition. Instead, he pressed against him and took the stiletto to his throat.

"Tell me, or else." Ayndi threatened.

"Okay!" The man sobbed. "Alright, just please, don't! It's to the east of this city, on a mountain-rise near the waterfront!"

"Thanks." Ayndi grinned, putting the knife away and dropping him, fleeing into the knight before the guards could show up.

Ayndi knew he couldn't stay in town, and he had to escape then without the guards seeing him. He ran, taking to the rooftops to escape easily. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, any who saw him being bewildered by his agility. When he neared the eastern gate, he used his stealth abilities to get by undetected. He then continued through the cold night in the desert. He walked calmly, taking a drink of water only once through the night until he got tired. But he had nowhere to sleep, so he collapsed on the sand, sleeping in the cool atmosphere until the next morning, where a Peco Peco startled him awake. He shooed it off, taking another drink of water and eating dried beef rations before heading further east. He walked the remainder of the day until he stumbled across what seemed to be correct.

To the east, before him, there was a wide expanse of water. But when he turned to the south, he saw a rise in the sand, like a small mountain. The elevation was several feet higher than Ayndi's height, and from a distance he could see various tents set up on top of it. And looking just beyond the curve of the mountain's base, he could see slaves digging away. The slaver must have forced them to dig, probably searching for old artifacts below the sand. It wouldn't have been anything bad to Ayndi if they were doing it willingly. But since they were forced as slaves, against their will, it was seen as wrong. And as a Rogue, he found it his responsibility to right what was wrong. So, he swiftly walked over to the rise and was forced to climb the rock faces to avoid detection.

Sticking to the rock face, he peered into the camp. There were many men, wearing almost all white to reflect the sun's rays. Some were wearing sakkats, and some were just wearing hoods. The men did everything they could to keep themselves from burning up in the sun. Looking over, he could see the slaves weren't so lucky. They worked, clothed in the very things they were taken in, and they didn't seem to get any breaks. They were forced to work all day while the band of slavers just relaxed in their shady tents. The intension was to free all the slaves, but the fact that they were all in the open was going to make things difficult. He didn't want to kill anyone; he didn't believe that it was of any right of his to do so. So to free all the slaves, he would have to sneak them out. So, as painful as it was nestled in the rocks, he laid in wait until nightfall. Somehow, he managed to avoid being seen.

He had nearly drained his water supply when night came around. During night, guards were stationed to make sure the slaves didn't escape, and torches were lit in order to see. Ayndi poked his head over the rock face so he could see what was going on. There wasn't a slave in sight, and maybe only five guards patrolled the whole camp. The matter seemed like child's play. But again, he didn't want to kill anyone, so he needed to find a different way to get rid of the guards. He thought for several minutes when he came to an idea that required immediate action. He quickly got up from the rock face and silently ran to the camp, staying out of sight. He stuck to the side of a tent, listening. He couldn't hear any life from the tent he was near, so he grabbed a nearby torch and took it to the fabric. As expected it quickly caught fire, and he slowly moved away. When the guards caught sight of this, they began to panic. Apparently, Ayndi chose the right tent.

During the commotion, Ayndi ran out from behind the tent and went to the one next to it. He quietly moved around the front, and heard talking. Many slaves were in the tent, and they were asking questions about the commotion outside. The guard inside, only the one, was telling them to remain calm and not panic. Upon hearing this, Ayndi burst into the tent, knocking the guard out with a hard blow to the neck. Of course, this startled the slaves, but Ayndi told them to go back to their homes as quickly as possible. But, it was easily said then done. There would have to have been one hell of a commotion in order to have the slaves escape unnoticed. This boggled the Rogue, and it was apparent he hadn't even got to all the slaves, there were still several more to be found. So, he told them to wait while he gathered the others. But he was met with a problem.

When he took his first step out of the slave tent, the tent that was on fire exploded, and it killed all the guards. That was the perfect opportunity for the slaves. Ayndi looked in and told them to run, and not question anything they see. He told them to wait for him at the mountain pass separating the waterfront from the desert – they knew what he was talking about. They hurried out of the tent, as did the other slaves, even though he didn't say so. It was nothing but a mass confusion of running, screaming people then. Ayndi found it hard to concentrate. Many of the other tents were on fire, and smoke filled the sky. The fist thing he had to concentrate on was getting the slaves out. He directed them quickly, telling them to head off to the west towards Morroc. He was about to go with them when he heard a woman's scream. All the slavers were men… so one slave had to be left.

When he turned around, he saw through the blaze, Farley. He was just as the woman described him, with fiery red hair and a fit-looking exterior. He was holding roughly to a slave, obviously a personal servant. She had long black hair, which went down to her mid back. She was dressed in a maid's outfit with a short skirt, obviously intended for fitting the part, and her deep green eyes showed distress as she fought against Farley to get away. He held her wrists tightly, dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans. He pulled her close and hut her across the face to make her listen. This only made her cry as she stumbled over, holding her face. Ayndi was offended by this display, and immediately went against it.

"Farley!" He called out.

"Hm?" Farley looked over, his eyes covered with those very sunglasses as the woman described. "Who the heck are you?"

"I demand you let that woman go!" Ayndi shouted as he stepped closer to Farley.

"You let all my slaves go, didn't you?" Farley asked, sounding rather angry. "You did, didn't you!"

"And if I did? I demand you let that last one go." Ayndi said.

"Never." Farley responded.

"I'll ask one more time…" Ayndi said, taking his crossbow and arming it, aiming it at Farley. "Let her go or else."

Suddenly, Ayndi was struck hard in the back of the head, and he was sent to the ground, dropping his crossbow. He turned around quickly, looking up to see two… beings. They were both women, one having red hair, and the other havinggreen hair. Awkwardly to him, they both had snake-like bodies, only on their bottom halves, the shade of their scales matching their hair colours. They both held spears in their hands, glaring at the Rogue. The red one swung at him, and he moved back quickly to see the force of the blow send sand flying up. Farley just laughed, moving to go get the slave girl, and to leave Ayndi to fight with the two Nagas. Somehow, he knew their strength was very impressive. But he had no time to fight!

He got up quickly; the first thing being done soon after was he drawing his stiletto. Both the Nagas swung at him with their spears then, and he stepped to the side, grabbing one with his free hand. The red Naga jerked back on the spear, but he held firmly to it, using the momentum to leap up and kick her in the face. This made her drop the spear, and Ayndi took it and threw it away, off the edge of the rock face. This gave him a slight advantage, or so he thought. He still had the green Naga to deal with, and the red Naga was still dangerous, even without her weapon. The green Naga quickly swung at Ayndi, hitting him in the ribs and sending him off his feet and to the ground. When she thrust her spear down at Ayndi's head then, he rolled to the side and looked over to see where Farley was. He was just watching. This gave Ayndi a desperate idea.

He quickly got up and ran at Farley. The slaver seemed caught off guard as Ayndi quickly kicked him to the ground, taking the young girl's hand and running away. She followed helplessly, stumbling a bit as Ayndi ran flawlessly with big strides of his long legs. Behind him, the Nagas were charging an attack to send at Ayndi as a last result. The girl looked back just in time to warn him. Looking back, Ayndi quickly scooped the young woman up into his arms, and the Nagas unleashed their attack. Two black balls, flowing with electricity, flew at Ayndi, and hit him roughly in the back. He cried out as he fell forward, off the rock face. He used the remainder of his strength to turn himself around, so if anyone were to hit the rocks below him, it would be him and not the woman. His back hit a few rocks very hard before he hit the sand beneath the rock face with a loud thud. He lay there still for several moments as the young woman got up and looked to him.

"Sir? Sir are you alright?" She cried to him, shaking him, but he couldn't move. "Sir? Sire, we have to go! Sir?"

Something was wrong. Ayndi's spine was tingling, but he couldn't move an inch. Somehow, the Nagas' attack had paralyzed him. He could hear the girls voice calling to him, but his eyes slowly drifted shut, and he couldn't respond. All he could do was feel the cold air around him, and the efforts the girl made to wake him up. After several minutes, he felt himself being moved, and he was picked up onto the girl's shoulders. It took her a lot of struggling, but she moved towards the west with Ayndi on her shoulders. He was much heavier than she had imagined, and quite a bit taller than her, but she successfully escaped while Farley was calling out over the dunes. Apparently, his permit had burned up with the rest of his camp. It didn't matter to Ayndi or the slaves though. It especially made Rosaline happy – the young woman that was carrying Ayndi back to Morroc.


	3. Chapter 3

Slowly, Ayndi stirred awake. Heat was lingering over his form, and he found the feeling to be quite refreshing. He made no noise, as that would have ruined his moment. It felt as if he had just awakened from a deep, peaceful sleep. He did not sit up, but what he did was evaluate his situation while lying down. He appeared to be on a couch, the same couch that was in the old woman's home that he had visited several days before. His head was rested back against a pillow, and he was covered in a colorful, decorative blanket. He could feel the fabric against his bare skin. His shirt had been removed, along with his hat and his shoes, and even his pants were missing. The dust that floated through the air seemed less dense than before, and the only sound that could be heard were simple tapings coming from the kitchen area. He soon sat up, rubbing his head, most of his pale white skin shown off on his upper body.

"Oh, mister Ayndi." He heard the familiar voice of the young woman from the night he rescued the slaves, and he looked over at her.

"You're awake." She stated, walking over to him and smiling somewhat.

Ayndi could only look at her silently. He wasn't able to find the words to speak, and simply left it for the young woman. He seemed to be captured and comforted by the warm feeling he got from her green eyes, and she looked much more peaceful in the outfit she was in. She wore a long dress, simply covering her body as needed. The sleeves on it were short, and the neckline was a little low. She wore a shirt beneath it for modesty, and the skirt came down to hide her feet and barely touch the ground. He wasn't quite certain she wore anything else aside from those, the desert temperatures more than likely being too hot for such. She suddenly walked away from him, back to the kitchen then, and he watched her. She seemed like a maid, and the feeling her hospitality gave him was hard to decipher. She soon came back, holding in her slender hands a steaming bowl of soup.

"You've been sleeping for several days." She said, her voice calm, with a sort of happy beat to it. "Would you like some soup?"

"Oh, um, yes." Ayndi responded quietly, taking the bowl from her. He had no utensils, obviously intended to drink it.

"My mother can't thank you enough." She said, just standing before him, showing interest in him as he sipped and drank the soup. "She was overjoyed when I came home."

"Where is she now?" Ayndi asked calmly. "Is she alright?"

"Yes, sir." She answered. "She's in bed right now."

"You must be Rosaline." Ayndi said then, looking to her.

"Yes I am mister Ayndi." She said. "I personally thank you for rescuing me from that man."

"Not a problem." Ayndi responded.

For several moments, there was silence. He tried to ignore her as he drank the soup back, but her presence seemed undeniable. In the corner of his mind, he knew she was watching him, for whatever reason. It bothered him a bit. He was curious as to what she was thinking, and more so, how he was going to get home. He still felt a little weak, not his normal self, so he knew she wasn't going to let him leave. He just knew she was the kind of person to help others. Why else would someone persist to live with his or her old mother? Rosaline soon broke the awkward silence with a question that caught Ayndi off guard.

"Why?" She said, out of the blue.

"Hm? Pardon?" Ayndi looked at her, and she seated herself at the table he sat in several days before.

"Why did you agree to free all those slaves?" She asked shyly. "The idea has been bothering me for some time now. Why do you do what you do?"

"It's hard to explain, but I have my reasons." Ayndi said. "I do what I do for the right of the world. At many places, the law has failed to enforce the rights of humans… such as the legal use of slaves and the legal action of slavery. Anyone with a half of a mind could see that it is totally wrong."

"Yes, you did break the law." She said.

"I don't care." He responded calmly.

"And you didn't ask for a reward?" Rosaline asked.

"I can get by without them." The Rogue responded.

"… You are a kind man Ayndi… and you'll always confuse me." Rosaline said before getting up and going about her business.

It was obvious to the Rogue that he was going to spend several weeks at this house. At first, he thought his weakness as something that he could brush off. But the strange effects of the spell had him weakened for much longer than he had anticipated. As soon as he attempted to stand up, something struck him quite suddenly, and he nearly collapsed, though Rosaline was quick to hold him up. For several days after that, Ayndi would push himself to return to his normal way of life and go home, but during random times during the day, he would be effected by the spell. His body would completely shut down, only for a few seconds, causing him to fall over. When he would come to, he would be very disorientated, and possibly sick. Those slavers certainly weren't going to let him get away with what he did. Rosaline wouldn't let him leave the house let alone leave Morroc. But despite her efforts, Ayndi tried to confront the illness and get over it.

The young woman, in her early twenties, seemed to have no problem taking care of both her mother and Ayndi. Somehow, she seemed to manage it with a calm, collective attitude. She never let things get out of hand, and she gave them both any and all attention they needed – which was more for Ayndi. He never wanted to stay put, and Rosaline was stuck following him around almost all day. She didn't think it was necessary for him to be out, but she couldn't stop him. So, when they were both out, she would try to talk with him. But the stone-faced man was hard to communicate with. It was hard to find out his interests or anything like that. Ayndi too had trouble talking with her due to his quiet nature. But one thing they did have in common was their selflessness. They both cared about other people more than they cared about themselves.

For instance, there was one night in Morroc. Ayndi had decided to see how long he could last without collapsing, and with Rosaline's mother being asleep, she agreed to follow along and help him, as usual. Everything was the same, Ayndi would walk for several minutes, trying to talk with her, and then the spell would kick in, and she would be stuck carrying him along until he could walk again. Though, they met a drunkard on their way home, and he immediately started talking to Rosaline, making crude comments about her body. She wanted to avoid him, but he persisted to the point where Ayndi spoke wearily. He warmed the man to back away. When the man didn't listen, he pulled away from Rosaline and confronted him. All Ayndi did was push him over, and the man was a helpless wreck. So, they left for home, Ayndi collapsing once again on the way. Though, during that time, rather than thanking him, Rosaline scolded him for being reckless, and told him he should have just left it alone, he was in no condition to do such things. Obviously, they cared more about the other's condition rather than their own. Plus, Ayndi got to see a side of Rosaline that he'd never encountered before.

Weeks passed, months even, and the Rogue found himself celebrating his birthday with a family he had never known before. He had plenty of time to get to know them… He soon saw them as personal friends. He had very little friends in the past, so the feeling was new to him. He hadn't even realized at first that he could speak with Rosaline and her mother quite openly. He started conversations, and actually gave a damn about what happened to them. At first he thought he was just being grateful, but as he put more and more thought into it, he realized that he had gained a bond with the two of them. It took him some time to embrace this bond, and as time went, it only strengthened. He found himself wanting to spend time with them, and thinking less and less about going home. And when his birthday came around, he seemed content staying just where he was, for one main reason – Rosaline.

He couldn't explain it himself. During the months, he had become attracted to her. He couldn't pin it to a certain moment when it began, but every time he attempted, he would think back to when he attempted to protect her from the drunkard. She cared more about him than her own well being, and he cared more about her well being than his own. It was a confusing thought. But as he thought onward, he remembered one time when he needed to fetch her back home as a request from her mother. She had traveled out to an oasis during the night, and when he had gone to get her, she was just getting out. He had been staring at the sand until he heard her movements, the water rippling and splashing as she moved to get out of the oasis. When he looked up, their eyes met. When he saw her, her beauty seemed amplified. The moonlight and the water must have had something to do with it. Her gentle green eyes stood out so well, and the delicate curves of her form made themselves more noticeable than ever. He didn't know if it was because of her nudity, or just something else that seemed to make her shine. Time had frozen for the both of them before Rosaline let out a little shriek, and he turned away quickly, embarrassed maybe for the first time in his life. Ever since then, he'd looked at her in a different way. He became gentler around her, and more gracious. Somehow, he knew, that he had fallen for her, whether he liked it or not.

"Ayndi?" Rosaline approached him, now comfortable enough to use his name without formalities. "What are you doing out here alone?"

"Just thinking." Ayndi responded. He had left the house to go outside and think, staring at the stars, alone with his thoughts.

"But it's your birthday." She said, stepping over next to him. "You shouldn't trouble your mind so much."

"I was thinking about the future." He responded, not looking at her.

"The future?" She asked him curiously. "Why ever would you think about that?"

"Well, I was just wondering what life might hold. I've lived alone, worked alone, and I will perhaps die alone." He answered.

He had done a lot of thinking. Every time he looked at Rosemary, he would gain feelings he could not explain. He had once gotten the opportunity to give her a friendly hug, as she was upset about her mother's health one night. He took it, and when he held her, they both seemed to linger in that moment without even noticing it. They only noticed long after it was done, and they both had similar thoughts on it. Little did Ayndi know, but the two of them had been on the same wavelength for several months. They had both been thinking about one another, and they had both wanted to say what they intended to say on that very night. Rosaline turned to Ayndi, looking up at him since she was slightly shorter.

"Well, perhaps someone will come to you one day, and you'll just know that they will be the one, from the moment you first see them." She said.

"Sounds like a fairy tale." He simply responded.

"Sometimes, living in a fairy tale, even for just a moment, can make you feel happy." She said to him, smiling at him. "Having that one, prince charming, come and save you."

With those words, he turned to her and said, "Hm, perhaps."

"Having some man save me from peril and make me feel safe." She said, looking away from him. "It's every little girl's dream… And I never really grew up."

"This has happened." Ayndi said with a slight smile. "I saved you, but it wasn't anything like a fairy tale."

"But I still see you as prince charming." She said quickly, blushing, as she had not intended for it to come out that way. Ayndi was surprised, his expression changing to one that had been caught completely off guard.

"I… I mean…" She went to explain herself. "Ayndi, you saved me, for no reward whatsoever. You took me out of the place I feared, and led me back to the place I loved. But at the same time, you took me to a better place. I knew that I would be safe around you Ayndi, and every time I see you, I feel like nothing can go wrong. Even though there are slavers, rapists, and everything, I see you, and it all goes away. I just know you're going to meet a woman, and fall in love with her. So if I don't tell you how I feel now, I'm going to miss out forever."

"… Go on." He said, looking down at her seriously. Though, he felt awkward, seeing the worried expression she wore.

"I know you want to go home." She explained. "But I don't want you to go. I know you must feel like a burden to me, but I don't want to stop caring for you. I know that if I could, I'd keep you near me forever. Because I know you'd keep me safe, and I like that feeling. I feel secure around you, and it's like nothing can ever hurt me. But… it's not just that. You're also so handsome to me; I sometimes can't stop looking at your face. But I have to… I have to because I know you might not feel the same way about me, that I might be just another job. But… I feel this way, and I've told you."

She stood there, feeling cold in the desert night. She turned away from him, hugging her arms around herself. She couldn't bear to look at him. She was scared. She may have been rushing this upon him, and he may not have had any interest in her at all. She feared that everything she just said would have come back at her in a bad way. She didn't even fully understand how she could have fallen for some man who had just shown up one day, out of nowhere. Things seemed to be so mixed up, and they wouldn't fall into place. The only things that kept it from coming together were Ayndi's thoughts. Whether he felt the same or not would have made things concrete, or destroyed them altogether. And she waited for Ayndi's insight, but had no courage left in her body to face him. She felt like a child.

Ayndi stepped closer to her. Resting a hand on her shoulder, he gently turned her to face him. She didn't look up though, for fear of his face. His eyes would have told her everything. But he insisted, and gently guided her face to rise, and her gaze to meet his own. He was fairly silent, but he explained his thoughts and feelings. He explained that living with her had been more peaceful than anything he had been through before. He felt like his life had more meaning, and that no hole was left open. Things seemed solid, a good foundation for his feelings. He told her how beautiful he saw her as, and how much he admired her ability to care for everyone and anyone, no matter whom. He said he was torn, wanting to stay, but needing to return home. Though, he said, if he could change himself, he would have eliminated any need to leaver her at all. To his pleasure, she took this the way he had intended, but expressed it in a way that confused him.

She began to cry, and fell against him. He could only stay sturdy and hold her up as she pressed herself close to him. He took the situation calmly, as he did with all situations, but acted with a gentle nature he rarely felt the need to use. His grip was comforting as he pulled her to stand up straight, and wrapped his arms around her to hold her study as he looked down at her, watching her happy tears flow. He stood silent as she cried and babbled about how much she wanted him to stay, and never fall over again. She rambled on and on about things that seemed to shy away from the point she was trying to make. All her emotions seemed to boggle her brain, and make her forget the three words she was looking for. So, taking thing into his own hands, Ayndi quietly leaned down to her, and said the words that silenced her, leaving her in an air of surprise.

"I love you too, Rosaline."

With that, he let her go and walked to the door of Rosaline's home. She stood in silence for several seconds before snapping to reality. She ran, as fast as her legs could carry her in a dress. Ayndi blinked and turned back to her as he'd opened the door, only to be taking right off his feet and hit the floor beneath her. She froze for a moment, looking down at him shyly, regretting her actions for a moment, and almost checking to see if he was hurt. But, seeing his stare back up at her, and no visible pain, she was assured. So she continued, moving against him to press her lips to his in a shy embrace. Ayndi wasn't at all surprised by this kiss, not as he would have bee if she hadn't admitted how she felt. He returned the kiss as just, and it gradually grew more loving and passionate through the next several moments.

"Happy birthday, Ayndi."

From that night on, they were officially a couple. As the remaining months of the year came to a close, they had planned out how to make each other happy. Him and Rosaline both agreed to get married, and become an official couple, and then Rosaline would return with Ayndi to Al De Baran. But they had to wait until Ayndi could safely move, and it wasn't until the end of that year that he regained his full abilities. At that time, they did get married, and they readied their things. Rosaline got a sort of caravan that Ayndi paid for to take them and her things back to Ayndi's home. Of course, Ayndi's "home" was not fit for Rosaline, so after a brief period in that "home," Ayndi bought a new home, a real house, and they moved into that. They lived as a happily married couple for two more years, sharing the joys and worries of companionship. Neither of them could have been happier, and the happiness didn't seem to ever end.

Well, at least not until…


	4. Chapter 4

It started with something a little offsetting. Ayndi and Rosaline had been married for almost two years, and lived happily in their home. Ayndi began accepting rewards for what he did, in order to support what was to be his family. He had gotten Rosaline pregnant within the first year of their marriage. It was a surprise to both of them, but they were more than willing to commit to a child. And so things went. Ayndi worked most days, patrolled on others, and Rosaline stayed at home during her pregnancy, which Ayndi did his best to help out with. He was forced to stay at home all the time when Rosaline went a little into the third trimester of her pregnancy. This made it hard for him. He cared for Rosaline hand and foot, but he rarely had time to go out. If he did, he was forced to go quickly, and couldn't waste time. Their child could have come at any moment, and he wanted to be ready for that time. So he spent maybe eighty percent of his time awake at home with Rosaline. He ran into very few problems, at least, not until one day that ultimately decided his fate.

Ayndi had agreed with Rosaline on going out and getting food. It seemed simple enough at the time, a simple task of going to the store and coming back. Though he still had his weapon, and he was ready to stop anything he could. As much as he loved his wife, he still felt responsible for the well being of the people around him. But everything seemed quiet, far too quiet. It had been like that for several days at one home that he had become suspicious about. So with a mixed heart and curiosity, he decided to check on the inhabitants of this home. He knew them fairly well; they were the Rauls, a generally peaceful and quiet family as far as he could tell. He had heard that their child Richard had gone out to face the world on his own several times, and he made certain that they were well taken care of, for the boy's sake. But the house had fallen oddly quiet a few days before, and Ayndi had stopped seeing them altogether. It was only the neighborly thing to do, to check up on them. Though it was fairly late in the afternoon.

When he approached the house, he noticed that the door was already open. This made him suspicious, as it would to anyone. He ran silently to the house and stuck close to the wall, stepping quietly towards the door to see if he could hear anything. He heard several voices inside, talking to one another. Some were male, and some were female, and they all sounded fairly young. The Rauls seemed like people who would rarely have visitors, so this made Ayndi even more suspicious. When he looked inside, he saw many different people. They weren't as young as he guessed, not then anyways. There was one young man with blonde hair, and pointy ears, dressed as a Sage, a female Archer with blonde hair and brown highlights, a female Thief with red hair and misty blue eyes, a male Acolyte and a female Merchant with brown hair and gold eyes. It was a suspicious lot to see in the Raul's home, so Ayndi moved to the door to question them. He cast a shadow that loomed over them, and shaded the wall before them, and they turned to face him.

"You!" The Acolyte shouted at him. "You must be that messenger the letter spoke of."

"Wha…" Ayndi was about to speak when the Acolyte advanced on him.

"What did you do to my parents! Where are they!" He yelled at Ayndi, and Ayndi looked at him as if he was being disrespectful. The young Acolyte walked right up to Ayndi and grabbed his vest. "Tell me!" He shouted. Ayndi was unable to answer, and only spoke the truth when he said he had no idea what the young man was talking about. The Acolyte asked again, and the Sage tried to calm him down by suggesting that he may have been jumping to conclusions. The wise young elf couldn't have been more right! But the Acolyte, desperate for his parents, didn't listen. He was infuriated, and he swung at Ayndi, hitting him right in the side of the jaw, making him jerk to the side and hit the doorframe he hadn't even entered yet. Ayndi glared at the kid then.

"This guy knows where my parents are." The young man said. "But he's not telling us. C'mon William, we'll have to beat it out of him."

"Now that's more like it!" The Thief, probably a femme fatal, chimed in with approval.

"If you're certain, Raul…" The Sage said, taking up his staff.

Raul came at Ayndi again, throwing a heavy fist towards him. Ayndi stepped back outside, almost causing the Acolyte to fall of balance, but he kept right at him. Raul ran at him again, but this time, Ayndi grabbed his arm and wrenched it, twisting it around and stepping beside him, elbowing him in the spine, sending him to the ground. It was a minor victory, as the Sage was on him next. William swung his staff low to trip Ayndi, but the Rogue simply jumped over it. The staff came at Ayndi's head next, and he ducked to avoid that as well. The Sage was too slow to do much of anything. Ayndi reached out, grabbed the staff in both hands, and kicked William in the stomach to get him to let go. Once he did, Ayndi had a feeling, and he immediately swung around and tripped Raul with it, who was trying to sneak up at him from behind. Ayndi then stepped away to gain his bearings again, holding the staff tightly. Raul was getting up from the ground, and the Sage had backed off, seeing he could do little against Ayndi. But then he caught sight of the Archer a bit too late, as an arrow was sent flying at him. Ayndi quickly leaned back, using one hand to hold himself up as the arrow sailed right over him. He quickly got upright then, his heart racing. They were going to finish him if he didn't act quickly!

Ayndi dropped the staff and ran towards the Archer then, who immediately began back off to get away. The Thief intercepted him though, who dove at him with her Main Gauge out. Ayndi managed to stop and stumble back to avoid being his – not one of his most graceful maneuvers. But she was quick, and began to send various slashes at him, one after another after another. Ayndi was forced back, dodging each attack one by one, looking for an opening. It was hard to find one, with the agility of the Thief being so great, but at last, he found one, acting with his own agility. He quickly pulled his Stiletto out from inside his vest, and used it to stop the Thief's Main Gauge dead in its tracks. He then used his strength to force it out of her hand and send it clanging to the ground. Ayndi laughed a bit, running towards her and quickly moving around her, tripping her to the ground on the way.

"Practice a little more with that!" He called back to her as he ran for the Merchant there, who was seemingly unprepared.

He ran at her, and regrettably moved to grab her. He moved behind her, wrapping an arm around under her right arm, up to her left shoulder to hold her in place against him. He then took his dagger and held it to her throat with his right hand. It was a typical hostage situation. He glared at the lot of them his face somewhat shaded under his sakkat as he held the knife threateningly to the Merchant's throat. They all stopped in their tracks, letting down their offenses. Raul was the first to speak.

"Angel!" He cried.

"Don't hurt her!" The Sage pleaded.

"Back off." Ayndi growled. "Back away from me."

"Richard, help me!" Angel cried out, shaking a bit in fright.

"I won't hurt her." Ayndi said. "Just tell me what's going on."

"You don't know?" William said. "Maybe he's not the messenger…"

"Raul's parents were kidnapped." The feisty Thief spat. "They used to live here."

"Then… you're Richard." Ayndi said, letting Angel go. She ran to Richard then, who held her protectively.

"Your parents have told me a lot about you." Ayndi said, putting his stiletto away. "I mean you no harm. I live in this town, and I knew your parents."

"You knew my parents?" Raul asked. "Then, do you know who could have done this?"

"I haven't a clue." Ayndi said. "But, we're bound to find out if we wait here long enough. But I cannot stay; I have to get home quickly. I live five houses down though, when you receive word of your parents, come speak with me."

Ayndi then hurried to buy the food he promised, and get back home. Luckily for him, when he got home, Rosaline had not had any troubles. She was only a little worried about Ayndi's whereabouts. She would have been more worried if her brother, Artemis, had not been there. Have had just come into town that day to help Ayndi take care of Rosaline. He seemed like an okay guy, with black hair and green eyes like her sister. He just had this unnatural obsession towards dragons; he was simply fascinated by them. He was more than likely the dragon expert, the most knowledgeable in the subject than even the wisest of Sages. He had actually written a book that he intended to add to the library of Juno. Though regardless of his presence, Ayndi still had to explain himself to his wife. When he explained that the Rauls were kidnapped, Rosaline seemed totally sympathetic, being a good friend of Richard's mother. William's group arrived at the house an hour later.

Raul said that his parents were being held in the abandoned clock tower at the center of town. There were only two f them, as the note said, and they demanded that they bring William, for some unknown reasons. William knew why, but he refused to tell Ayndi anything about it. Ayndi knew that they couldn't wait until daybreak; they had to act swiftly in order to safely return Richard's parents. So with Rosaline's consent, they went straight to the Clock Tower. They ha all heard the rumors about it being haunted, and this gave some of William's group second thought about entering. Ayndi saw this hesitation as a waste of time, and silently advanced into the tower without them. Raul called out fro him to wait up and ran in moments later. Angel then ran in after Raul, and William was left outside with the Archer, Alexia, and the Thief, Mandis.

"I don't know…" Alexis said.

"Well, if you think about it, the place can't be haunted." William said.

"Yeah, if a couple of kidnappers can hide out in there, then they're the only creepy things in that place." Mandis said as she slapped Alexis on the back, running towards the tower. "C'mon!"

Ayndi's opinion was correct. Nothing was in the tower but mossy brick and darkness. Still, something seemed to send chills down Ayndi's spine, and he was generally fearless. Somehow he got the brooding feeling of impending fate. The six of them traveled through the dark corridors, having to constantly be reminded by Ayndi to hush. William, Raul and Angel were generally quiet, but Mandis kept talking to Alexis time and time again. It was really agitating to Ayndi. Plus, the corridors seemed like a giant maze, and the lot of them soon lost track of where they were going, or where they came from. They certainly chose a good place, as William said. They spent several minutes, possibly on hour or so, in that god-forsaken place until Ayndi, who was leading the group, heard something. He stopped, the other five bumping into him in a line, one bumping into the other, and they stopped. Ayndi peeked around the corner, the other five doing the same.

"Do you think they'll bring the advisor?" A young man in a block, hooded cloak said.

"They will. I doubt that kid wants to see his parents dead." The other said.

"They're going to kill my parents?" Raul whispered.

"They're not going to kill your parents." Ayndi said. "I promise."

Ayndi whipped around the corner and hurried to the men, stopping as he saw Raul's parents tied up between the two of them. The others followed Ayndi, and stopped just as he did, and there was an awkward tension in the air. One of the men had a sword to them, pointing the tip right at Raul's father's throat. The two elderly parents were tied, and their mouths taped shut, and the other man silently walked over to Ayndi and stood before him. Ayndi couldn't see his face, since the cloak hid it so well. They stood in an awkward silence for a few seconds before the man in the cloak spoke.

"You brought the advisor." His attentions turned to William. "Good…"

"Why do you need him?" Ayndi asked.

"He is very important to us." The man responded.

"He's looking for something we're looking for…" The other said. "If we get rid of him, then there will be nothing stopping us."

"Get rid of him?" Raul repeated.

"They want to kill me, obviously." William said.

"Man, what did you **do**?" Raul asked, turning to William.

"Just hand him over." The man said with a laugh. "Master's orders."

"There's that master guy again!" Mandis said. "Who the heck is this guy?"

"Master…" William said, looking to them. "How do we know you'll give Raul's parents back if I go with you?"

The men said nothing.

"Answer me!" William shouted.

"By the master's orders, they're not to live." The man laughed. "Kill them now!"

The man nearest Raul's parents had reared back a bit to plunge the sword into Raul's father's throat, and that's when all hell broke loose. Mandis quickly threw her Main Gauge, which flew through the air and hit the man in the forearm, causing him to cry out and drop his sword. Raul ran at him then with a cry of fury, tackling him to the ground and proceeded to try and pummel him, but the man grabbed his arms, and they were thrown into a test of strength. In the meantime, the other man had summoned an odd-looking kind of sphere that floated above him, and he sent it at Ayndi. Ayndi moved out of the way, and William grabbed Alexis who was behind him, and pulled her out of the way. The sphere crashed to the floor and disappeared. Ayndi ran at the man then, thrusting a knee into his gut and thrusting an elbow into his spine. Angel ran to Raul's parents and quickly began to untie them, taking the tape off their mouths. They tried to express their gratitude, but she quickly helped them up and hurried to get them to leave.

The man under Raul managed to get his legs under him and throw him off though, and he quickly got up. He pulled the dagger from his forearm, and reared back with it, preparing to throw it at Raul's mother. Just as he took it back though, it was snatched from his hand. He turned around quickly just in time to see Mandis bury the blade into his throat. He took in a weak gasp when it buried itself inside his throat, and blood began to flow from the wound. Mandis ripped the blade back out, and the man fell to the ground, his blood beginning to pool on the floor under his throat. This shocked Ayndi; He couldn't understand how such a young girl could mercilessly take someone's life like that. He froze during the time, allowing himself to be hit in the chest by another Spirit Sphere, and he fell back to the ground, holding his chest and attempting to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him. The remaining kidnapper laughed, stomping on Ayndi's throat, making an odd gurgle emit from him as his wind passage was completely cut off. But just then, a fireball hit the man, and he stumbled back, his cloak easily catching flame. He cried out in a panic as he began to flail, trying desperately to do something about the flame. But in his personal chaos, an arrow flew and hit him in the head, making him stop dead, and fall forwards onto the ground. Ayndi sat up and looked to Alexis in shock yet again, rubbing his throat. Alexis herself looked totally surprised.

They moved to leave, and Ayndi, being the last one to go, turned back to look at the damage. Two dead men, one drowning in a pool of his own blood, and another still on fire, laying there silently as the flames ate away at his flesh. The Rogue learned that he just had to accept what had happened. Not everyone had the same views as him, and it seemed the most apparent to that claim was Mandis. But he wouldn't say anything or do anything. He told himself just to leave it be and go home. When he turned to walk away though, he stopped, looking back. An odd laughter almost echoed through the halls, very quiet, almost a whisper. Ayndi thought about it for a moment, but dismissed it when he heard William tell him to hurry up and leave.

…

"Well, thanks again." Raul said the next day, having stopped by Ayndi's home with the others.

"No problem." Ayndi responded.

"My parents asked me to give you this." Raul said, holding out a bag of zeny. "They really hope you'll accept it."

"Gladly." Ayndi smiled, taking the bag and handing it to Artemis, who took it and went to stash it away.

"Well, I'm going home." Raul said. "Just for a while at least. I'll see you later I guess."

Ayndi stepped outside the door to see Raul meet with the others and start talking. They looked back at him and waved, and the Rogue waved back to them. As they walked away, he heard Alexis say something to William about taking someone's life. It sounded like she really regret it, and that she'd never done it before. Ayndi just let it go and went back inside to enjoy breakfast with Rosaline and Artemis. Artemis was making the breakfast while talking on and on about Ancient Payon Dragons, which was kind of boring for both Ayndi and Rosaline, but it was something Artemis knew a lot about. He knew interesting legends, what one looked like… He knew everything there was to know. But he did make some mean eggs for breakfast too, making him a pretty interesting guy. They sat down to a more balanced conversation about Ayndi and Rosaline's child, talking about things about its name, and the fact that it was almost guaranteed to have black hair.

Later that night, everything was sound. Artemis was sleeping on the couch, his thin, short from draped in a large blanket, and his head resting on a large pillow. Ayndi and Rosaline were in their room, sound asleep, all cuddled up. But Ayndi seemed a little restless. He was having a nightmare. In this nightmare, everything was black, he couldn't see a thing, not even himself. There was a lone light in the distance, and a mirror. He ran towards the light, and stood in it. He curiously looked in the mirror to see his own face, but it was horribly scarred across it, and one part of his ear was missing. This startled him a bit, and he reached up to run his finger over the wound. Just before he moved to touch it, it split open, and blood began to run down his face. He could feel the pain. He cried out, holding his face. He let the pain subside, and then looked at himself. The blood on his face and hand was black, and when it touched the floor, it sounded like acid. He then heard a noise behind him, and he turned around quickly to see a man.

The man laughed sickle, crossing his arms. He was dawned in a black tuxedo, and he had messy brown hair. Strangely though, he wore a mask. This mask was commonly worn by goblins, being that of a demented smiley face. The eye sockets seemed to glow red. Ayndi let his face go and stood defensively, his wound dripping the charcoal blood down his pale skin. The man suddenly appeared in front of him though, and grabbed his throat, lifting him off the ground. He held tightly to Ayndi's throat, choking him. Ayndi struggled against him, kicking his legs and trying to pry the man's hand from his neck, but it was no use. The man then spoke in a voice that chilled Ayndi to the bone.

"_Go to the Clock Tower tomorrow_." He said. "_And kill every living soul within the place. I command you to do it… Or else_."

"_Wh-What_?" Ayndi was confused.

"_Do it… Or the ones you love will perish_!" The man cried as the area around them was surrounded in flames, and Ayndi could hear the screams of his loving wife and her brother.

Ayndi shot up, his eyes opened wide, and cold sweat drenching his form. He was panting heavily, and he brought his hand up to run through his hair. He quickly looked beside him, seeing Rosaline there, and he was somewhat relieved. Rosaline stirred awake, and reached up to rest a hand on Ayndi's cheek. She looked very concerned, asking him what was wrong. Ayndi didn't know how to answer. Was his dream a vision? Or was it just an illusion created by his very own mind? He didn't want to think of it in either scenario. So he answered her by hiding what he had seen, and coming out with a question that caught Rosaline off guard.

"Rosaline, what will happen if I wake up one morning and find you dead?" Ayndi asked. The question alone made his heart sink in his chest.

"Ayndi…" Rosaline smiled. "I'm not old enough to die yet, and I'm going to have your baby. You don't need to worry."

"Well, what would happen?" He asked again.

"Ayndi, if I ever died, I need you to promise me something." Rosaline said. "If I died before you, for whatever crazy reason, you have to promise me that you'll keep living as long as you can."

"I don't think I'd want to." Ayndi said, taking Rosaline's hand into his own.

"For me?" She asked, her eyes shining.

"… Alright." Ayndi said after a moments pause. "I promise I'll live while you're gone, if that ever happens."

"Thank you dear." She said. "Now go back to sleep."

The next morning when Ayndi awoke, the house was empty… Both Rosaline and Artemis were gone.

* * *

**A/N**: Use of characters from "Prophetic Gate: The Adventures Of William" permitted by my cousin, "The Only Author Ever."


	5. Chapter 5

Ayndi had left his house in a hurry that morning, calling out for both Rosaline and Artemis over the crowds. He pushed, shoved, did everything he could to navigate the town. A pregnant woman wasn't meant to be out like Ayndi's wife was. She was close to giving birth! It could have happened at any moment! He tried to reason with himself. Maybe Artemis took her somewhere for a bit, maybe she needed fresh air. But at the same time, his mind told him that it was more than just a coincidence. That dream was so oddly timed, that it was a warning. He just had a dark, brooding feeling about it. He hurried about all morning, not even getting breakfast, calling for them. But as he passed by an old, abandoned house, two men shot out, grabbed him, and pulled him inside. He struggled against them, but they held him firmly, but he froze and gave up soon after.

He was met with the sight of the very same man as was in his dream. He stepped close to Ayndi, moving slowly, seeming quite threatening. He held in his hand, a small injector, and the first thing his did was teasingly waving it in front of Ayndi's face. Ayndi tilted his head back frightfully. His heart was racing, but the man backed off. That was when he noticed them. Ayndi saw that both Rosaline and Artemis were bound in the corner of the room, Artemis frantically struggling against the ropes binding his hands and feet. Their mouths were free, so they could speak. The man in the mask laughed, looking to Ayndi, who was dressed in his Rogue garb, and the sakkat he wore into the desert. The two men holding Ayndi tightened their grip on him as the man in the mask began to speak.

"Good morning." He said sickly.

"Let them go!" Ayndi cried as he tried to lash out at the man, but he just waved the injector again, making Ayndi back off.

"I need them." The man shot at him. "You need to do something for me, Ayndi."

"I'll never lift a finger for you." Ayndi snarled.

"I think you will." The man said. "I saw you fight that Sage and his friends. I must say that you are rather skilled in the ways of fighting. So I need to use your skills to my advantage."

"Never…" Ayndi insisted.

"Well, I'll have to persuade you." The man said.

The man laughed a bit as he turned his sights on Artemis and Rosaline. Ayndi became worried as soon as this happened. The man walked over to them and looked down at them, surveying the two. Both the pregnant woman and the dracologist shivered in fear. Artemis piped up, telling him to aback off, and the man just laughed at the attempt. He reached down and grabbed Artemis by the shirt, and Artemis began to squirm and thrash about wildly, trying desperately to get away. He cried out, yelled, screamed, but all he managed to achieve was a waste of energy. He tired himself out, and the masked man was able to turn him around and slam him against the wall roughly. With the young man's back turned to him, the masked man took the injector and instantly pushed the needle into the back of his neck. It drew blood. Blood dripped down the back of Artemis's neck, and his eyes went wide in shock as an awkward serum was injected into him.

"L… Let… Let Roz… go…" Artemis said weakly as the masked man let him go, and he fell back to the floor.

"Artemis!" Rosaline cried as her brother fell unconscious beside her.

"What did you do to him!" Ayndi yelled as he thrashed wildly to get away from the men.

"Kill the people within the tower." The man said, not even turning to Ayndi. "Kill every last one of them. And you had best be quick… Or else."

"Or else?" Ayndi froze.

"… I think you know." The man said.

The two men let Ayndi go, and he looked to Rosaline, who looked back at him. The look in her eyes was full of fear, and it made Ayndi feel horrible. But suddenly, she grimaced in pain and whimpered lightly, shifting a bit on the ground. Ayndi's heart skipped a beat for a moment. Either Rosaline was going into labor, or it was just some sort of contraction, but he wasn't about to take any chances. Ayndi tried to run to her, but the masked man stood before him, making him stop. Rosaline soon settled down, to Ayndi's relief, but it still told him that she was close to having a child. The man told him to go yet again, and Ayndi could do naught but listen. He turned with a heavy heart and left, he walked out of the house and onto the street once again. Despite the yelling, it seemed everyone around the house was oblivious as to what happened. They didn't even notice. Ayndi shook his head, looking to the ground as he set off towards the tower.

He didn't know what to do. He was so worried about Rosaline, and Artemis. But at the same time, he wanted to avoid killing people. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, and when he reached the tower, he stopped. He stared up at it quietly. He knew he didn't have the right to take anyone else's life. But if he didn't, that masked man, that evil monster, was going to take away the only people he had left to care about. His life would have been ruined, thrown back into a secluded nature all over again. His sense of right and wrong had no point in the situation. He merely had to act on instinct, and that instinct told him to save his wife and brother-in-law, and his unborn child. If not, they would die…

"And I promised." Ayndi sighed.

There was a guard standing at the front of the tower. Raul and his group must have told the city patrol about what happened, and they were going to take precautions. It seemed that Ayndi was staring at a face that he was about to kill. The feeling he got inside, knowing that man was about to die at his hands made him want to sit down and give up right there. What if that man had a family? What if he was about to get a child, just like Ayndi? What if he already had children, and he promised to buy them something on his way home? Ayndi just had to bite his lip though. Ayndi looked away for a moment to ease his own self, before coming up with a plan of desperation. He took in a deep breath and stared down the guard, and just began to run blindly towards the man. He came into focus once the guard noticed him, and told him to stop. But he just pushed past him and ran inside the darkness once again. He stopped soon inside and ducked around a corner, and when he heard the guard running inside, he took out his dagger. He closed his eyes, saying a prayer through grit teeth, and as soon as the guard passed around the corner, he lunged forwards.

Ayndi's blade found itself dug right into one of the open spots on the guard's helmet. It was buried right in the center of his forehead. Ayndi opened his eyes to see the guard staring back at him in a sort of lifeless horror. His life was flashing before his eyes, if they still worked. Blood was oozing from the filled hole, and after several moments, Ayndi ripped the blade out, stumbling back as he did so. He watched in horror as the man collapsed upon the ground, dead, blood freely flowing from his forehead. His eyes will still wide in horror, shock. Shock at the fact he may never be able to see his family again, or eat his favorite food, or love another. Shock at the fact his family, whatever amount there were, would grieve so much over him. Ayndi shook with fright, unable to understand how simply he was able to do it. He cursed himself, called himself a monster, and nearly sobbed as he just stared at the guard's dead carcass. He was snapped out of it when another voice called out to him. Two more guards had found him.

He had to kill them. He had no choice. So swallowing his fear, he turned to the guards and ran at them. One of them was shocked by this blind feat of fury, and the shock was in effect long enough for Ayndi to act. The Rogue leapt at him, landing on him, feet planted on his chest, and his hand gripping his shoulder. The guard fell back onto the ground, and the other guard quickly swung a large axe at the Rogue in blind opposition. Ayndi backed off the man on the ground then, and the large, sharp axe blade split the man's cranium right in half. The guard was mortified, and let the handle of his axe go. Right away, Ayndi was on him, jumping up and kneeing him in the gut. The Rogue knocked the wind from the guard, and quickly got around behind him, taking a split second to slit the man's throat. The guard fell to the floor, gurgling on his own blood, and soon laying motionless, he helmet falling off his head. Ayndi froze again, but soon heard shouts echoing down the corridors. He ran to the darkness and hid then.

He watched from the shadows, lurking mysteriously without a sign. Five other guards, counting all able bodies, were present only seconds later. It seemed that they only patrolled the first floor, as one guard, after inspecting the bodies, proclaimed that he was certain they should have put more in the tower. Ayndi couldn't move. He watched them with mixed emotions of disgust at himself, and panic. He had to kill them. He had no choice. He held tightly to his stiletto, tight enough to hurt his hand, and to turn his skin white. They were so stupid. They just stood there in awe over the bodies. Idiots. Every single one of them was a death waiting to happen. Ayndi's breath got caught in his chest at the thought. What was wrong with him? He was a desperate man, desperate to save his family. And with that thought, he advanced on them once again.

He ran out, and quickly stabbed the closest one in the back. With a tight grip on the blade, he fiercely tugged down, dragging the blade along the guard's spinal cord. He let out a cry and fell forwards, twitching lightly on the ground, but not dying. The other four guards were surprised, but acted quickly to kill him. He stared with wide eyes at the approaching guards, and using quick thinking, he spotted one with his sword not even out. He was behind the other three, so Ayndi used his agility to quickly go around them, actually leaping to and off the wall to do so. He landed before the guard with the sword, and quickly got around behind him. He ripped the guards sword sheathe right off his waist and brought it to his throat. Upon unsheathing the blade, the slit the guy's throat, blood flowing immediately from the wound, and he fell to the ground, dead. He then used the sword to combat the rest of them.

One came running at him, crying out in frustration. Ayndi quickly silenced him by throwing his dagger, it whistling through the air and burying itself in the guard's chest. He took in a heavy gasp and fell to the ground, one of his lungs punctured. The other two were at him then, one with an axe, and another with a sword. They came at the Rogue in unison, so Ayndi was forced on the defensive. Barely blocking a sword slash, and a swing of the axe, he fell to the ground, and swung the sword, actually cutting the axe-wielder's feet right off. He fell to the floor, stubs for feet then, but Ayndi had to leave him as the sword guard attacked him again. Ayndi rolled out of the way, the sword clanging against the brick floor, and stood up. He backed away, wound up, and hurled the sword, horizontally. The throw was hard to accomplish, but the result was cutting the guard clear in half at the waist. The two parts of his body fell, his expression that of surprise. He wasn't even able to defend himself. Blood pooled on the floor.

The last guard, the one without feet, was horrified. Seeing his comrades' deaths, he frantically tried to crawl away in a panic. He dragged himself desperately along the floor, the blood drawing from where his feet used to be leaving a trail on the floor. His heart stopped when he felt a hand gripping the back of his padded armor. He began to sob, knowing that he was next. He was turned around to be facing up at Ayndi. The Rogue froze, seeing his expression. The guard's head was pounding, and he could barely retain normal thought. His cried and sobs echoed through the old tower. But Ayndi had to do it. He had to kill this man to save Rosaline. So he raised his arm, sword in hand, ready to plunge it into the man's heart. The man lay helplessly, shaking his head.

"Please… don't!" The man cried. "I don't want to die!"

"… I'm sorry." Ayndi said quietly, plunging the blade into the man's heart mercilessly.

Blood actually squirted out, hitting Ayndi in the cheek. A few drops were all it was, and the man let out a weak sigh before finally going limp. Ayndi dropped the man, leaving the sword impaled within him, and stood up, backing away. His heart was racing, and his head was pounding. Again he got that feeling of misery and confusion. What had he done? He backed away quicker, just before tripping over another body and falling back onto the floor, sitting up. He could see the shocked expression on that guard's face… In fact, it was on all their faces. Ayndi hadn't even gotten a scar for what he had done, and yet every single one of those men lost their lives in a fifteen minute time period. Ayndi couldn't understand why. He didn't understand that it was easy for him to take another man's life. It was physically easy. But with the way he stared in wide-eyed amazement showed that the mental component was too much. He got up again and quickly turned, and began to run. But he only got a few steps before he stopped.

He wrapped his arms around his own middle-section, breathing heavily. He was choking back horrified sobs as he fell to his knees, his head down, holding his body. He began to cry. It was too much for him, he didn't understand. He felt guilty, he felt evil. He felt as if his own life would never be the same. The guard's cries of pain filled his mind, a reminder of just how he did it. All the different ways he killed those men. He found that he was actually being quite creative! This thought, this idea that he had no right to take another man's life, this sense of right and wrong was skewed. He heard footsteps echoing in the halls, and cursed himself. He didn't want to kill again. He didn't want to take another person's life. What if it was a woman, or a younger child? What if he had to kill them too? He shook his head, muttering to himself.

"You did well." The masked man said.

Ayndi shot his gaze up, finding himself staring at the masked man who told him to do what he did. He was surveying the damage.

"And you weren't even scratched!" The man said. "Quite impressive."

Ayndi nodded, slowly moving to stand up, blood on the knees of his pants then. He looked to see the two men. One was holding Rosaline in their arms, being surprisingly caring of her pregnant from. She was staring around in horror as well. She didn't think Ayndi was ever capable of doing what he had done. But the reality hit her like a train, and she couldn't say a word, even when she looked right into her husband's eyes. Another man was holding Artemis over his shoulder. The masked man laughed a bit, seeing Ayndi's tear-stained face. He went about thanking Ayndi, when Artemis suddenly began acting strangely. He began to twitch furiously, and groan in pain. All eyes were turned on him then.

"Hmm, the Draconis Serum is having an adverse effect on him." The masked man said. "Bring him back home, and put him in the lab. Set him in the chamber, and put him under surveillance."

"What's happing to him!" Ayndi cried. "What did you do?"

"I hear he loves dragons…" The man laughed. The one man summoned a portal and walked into it, disappearing, it closing seconds later.

"Bring him back!" Ayndi demanded, grabbing onto the man's shirt.

"And have him simultaneously combust?" The man asked, grabbing Ayndi's wrist and beginning to crush it, making Ayndi grit his teeth. The man then picked up and threw him across the corridor. He landed on the ground roughly, his sakkat falling off, and looked up at the man in shock. The man then stepped over to Ayndi and stepped on his chest, pinning him to the floor and leaning over him.

"You're a fool." He said.

"Wh-What?" Ayndi was confused, as anyone would have been.

"I've seen what you're capable of, and I know your ambitions." The man said. "I'm well aware that if I let you and your wife go, you'll come to get back at me."

Ayndi couldn't say anything. The man was right.

But the man then did something that scarred Ayndi for life. As punishment, for Ayndi just being who he was, the man turned his sights on Rosaline. Ayndi moved to get up quickly, but the man easily knocked him aside. The person holding Rosaline set her down, and in fright, she backed away from the masked man, falling back to the floor with a painful whimper. Ayndi desperately moved to stop the man again, just as easily being knocked aside, hitting his back against the wall and sliding down to the floor. His mind was racing as he watched maybe his most horrible of nightmares coming true right before his eyes. His wife was cowering away from this man, who had somehow made a mysterious blade appear in his hand. It was as black as night, without the blue-y hue of the sky. It was a starless space, in the shape of a very sharp blade. Ayndi got up again and ran at the man, taking out his dagger. He wasn't going to let this masked man take away his happiness.

But before Ayndi could strike, the man whipped around and slashed the shadow blade at his legs. Ayndi felt the sting of the blade and fell to his knees, his lower legs having been cut. He grit his teeth, an odd feeling taking his legs. He dropped his dagger and held the bleeding wound. Blood flowed out of it, oddly, even though the cut was minor. This awkward feeling flowed within him, starting at his legs and slowly creeping up his body. It made his lungs fail a little, and he coughed, gasping for air. With a breathless gaze, he lifted his hands from the wound and eyed them. Black blood stained his fingers and palms. He was horrified, something from his dream also coming true. He looked up at the masked man, whom was lurking over Rosaline, and quickly got up again, pushing himself to aid her. Unfortunately his strides were cut short as he fell to the floor, this awkward feeling of emptiness reaching his head, and shutting down his movements. His mind still worked though, and he attempted to lift his head, but couldn't.

Ayndi was forced to watch as this monster of a man grabbed his wife and lifted her from the ground. Rosaline was crying by that point, scared for her life. But it was no use; her life was already over. The man in the mask held her by her dress, and with a moment's pause, lunged the shadow blade into her carrying stomach. Rosaline screamed out in pain and horror, and Ayndi thought, somewhere in his mind, he could hear the cry of his unborn child. The masked man held the blade within Rosaline's stomach for a short time before ripping it out and throwing her down to the ground beside Ayndi. She landed roughly on her front side, staring into Ayndi's eyes, which looked a lot like Rosaline's. Both of them were staring at one another, knowing that it was going to be the last time. But they couldn't look happy, nobody could. Their tears flowed, staining the cold floor beneath them, as well as their corrupted blood. Rosaline opened her mouth to speak, but only a breathless gasp was made as her eyes began to fade to black. Ayndi had just begun to gain some movement, and in turn, his sadness intensified to the point where he was openly weeping on the cold floor. By the time he regained full mobility, Rosaline was long dead, her body cold, and her insides black and rotting away.

Ayndi rolled over onto his back, coughing slightly from the lack of air his weeping had caused. He shook his head, rubbing at his forehead and eyes, and even gripped and pulled his hair. He couldn't believe what he'd seen; he wasn't able to accept it. He hit the back of his head off the floor repeatedly, lightly in weak attempts. He muttered to himself and sobbed, his ability of rational thought leaving him as he was forced to watch his wife's death. He was without anyone all over again. But this time, instead of loneliness, his life was hurled into a mad state of depression and darkness, and it was all because of some nameless man, some embodiment of evil, someone worse than the slaver, someone ruthless and emotionless, someone who was still lurking over Ayndi, laughing at his suffering. The man picked Ayndi up off the floor by head neck, and Ayndi hung almost lifelessly in his grasp.

"I could kill you right now." The man said, awkwardly calm. "But the question is, do you want to die?"

Ayndi then made a decision that raced through his mind, and making his head hurt. Through the choking hold of the man, Ayndi sealed his fate, a fate that was not to end in happiness or triumph. He chose a fate that also ultimately decided the fate of a young woman in Commodo. Ayndi chose something that he had many regrets about. He chose to follow his word, and keep his promise to his newly deceased wife. And it was, through tear-stained eyes and a choked out voice, he replied.

His answer was: no.


End file.
